L LI IW IW LIW
AN ANTON MEDIA GROUP PUBLICATION
AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
IDINA MENZEL COMES HOME TO LONG ISLAND
INSIDE DISHING ON POLAND • BASEBALL BLUNDERS
SPECIAL SECTION: CAMPS & SCHOOLS
SEE OUR AD ON THE BACK COVER
K A SU R A IT K S O
LONG ISLAND WEEKLY LongIslandWeekly.com MARCH 29 - APRIL 4, 2017 Vol. 4, No. 11 $1.00
1
22
LongIslandWeekly.com • March 29 - April 4, 2017 • Published By Anton Media Group • To Advertise Call: 516-747-8282
Herricks Travel 516-294-0020
Travel Richer IS THE ONLY THING YOU BUY THAT
MAKES YOU
Use Points... Travel When & Where You Want!
ALL CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED Mention Promo Code: aec4g926 for exclusive offers.
168078 C
2A
20170331_XAL_LNW_PG00 - 1:39 March 27, 2017
33
LongIslandWeekly.com • March 29 - April 4, 2017 • Published By Anton Media Group • To Advertise Call: 516-747-8282
Idina Menzel’s Must-See Musicals
3A
BY DAVE GIL DE RUBIO
L
DGILDERUBIO@ANTONMEDIAGROUP.COM
Audrey Hepburn in 1964’s My Fair Lady
egions of little girls may know Idina Menzel (right) as the voice of Frozen’s Elsa, but it’s the Broadway musical stage where the Syosset native has made her mark, starting with being an original cast member of Rent and then moving on to other major Tony Award-winning/ nominated Broadway roles in Wicked and If/Then. Currently on tour behind her latest record idina., Menzel took a break to share with Long Island Weekly her favorite musicals growing up.
Richard Beymer (left) and Natalie Wood in 1961’s West Side Story
West Side Story “I saw the movie way before I ever saw the [stage] production of it. It’s one of my favorites of all time. [I guess what I love about it is] the Romeo and Juliet story and the music. I never put my finger on what that would be. I think that the way the music spoke to me….now I think back, I would never really have been an Anita or Maria, because I wasn’t a good dancer and I’m not really a high soprano (laughs). Back in the day I was. I was a soprano 1 in high school, so sometimes it’s kind of the parts I wanted to play.”
My Fair Lady “This was another show with the kind of part that I wanted to play. This was also probably one of those musical movies that I saw with my mom and dad. So there’s also a memory of them sitting me down to watch this.”
Dreamgirls/A Star Is Born/ Funny Girl “I saw Dreamgirls when I was a little kid, so that was one of the first musicals that I ever saw and one of my favorites. Another one that I couldn’t be in for many years (laughs). [I’m a big fan of] the rising star kind of thing. I saw the Barbra Streisand version of A Star is Born—that was with my grandmother in the movie theater. Funny Girl— any Broadway show, which is often the
Omar Sharif (left) and Barbra Streisand in 1968’s Funny Girl case with a famous Broadway show where the lead character is coming to a new town and they’re making
it where they are. That’s sort of the formula for a lot of great musicals. So I think as a budding performer
the kind of hopefulness and seeing someone overcome rejection and make their mark on the world.”
Idina Menzel will be appearing on April 7 at Nassau Coliseum, 1255 Hempstead Tpke., Uniondale. For more information, visit www.nassaucoliseum.com or call 800-745-3000. Read a full feature on Idina Menzel in the May 2017 issue of Boulevard.
20170331_XAL_LNW_PG00 - 1:39 March 27, 2017
44
4A
LongIslandWeekly.com • March 29 - April 4, 2017 • Published By Anton Media Group • To Advertise Call: 516-747-8282
DINING
Smacznego! BY STEVE MOSCO SMOSCO@ANTONMEDIAGROUP.COM
M
168204 C
Y
P OR K S T
162961 C
FO R
LL A UA Q QU
IT
Hunter’s Sausage, is a thin, stick form of sausage—sort of like a mature Slim Jim, except not greasy/gross—there’s extra pepper added for an added spicy kick. These snackable sausages are dried for a firm texture and eaten at room temperature. Then there’s the cyganska, or Gypsy sausage. If kabonosy is mature, cyganska is the road-hardened troubadour who has seen it all. This dark, deeply smoked sausage is made with pork, salt, pepper and garlic. It is woodsy and flavorful, with a smoky nuance that pairs well with cheese and
RE O
ST E
Essentials are available at local Polish delis.
EE A AT TS S
P
olish comfort food is a real meat and potatoes affair—and there’s nothing wrong with that, nothing at all. This salty, savory and stick-to-yourribs ethnic menu brings an array of rustic sausages into the spotlight, with a seemingly never-ending assortment of soul-soothing pierogis, along with breads, herring and pastries. Leave your calorie counting at the door and expect hearty meals and meat galore. At least two area grocery/delis are keeping the local Polish population fed with fare from the homeland, while revealing to the rest why we ought to embrace this often overlooked cuisine. Polish Euro Deli (362 Jericho Tpke., Floral Park) and Polish-American Market & Deli (914 Jericho Tpke., New Hyde Park) are two local stalwarts supplying dinners and accouterments deeply rooted in tradition, but with a surprising flavorful complexity. Firstly, on every Polish grandma’s menu is the pierogi. These Eastern
European dumplings trace their roots to Russia in the Middle Ages, but Poles have since made the dish synonymous with Poland. These dough pockets are filled with cheese, potatoes, onions, cabbage, mushrooms, meat—basically any ingredient that comes to mind, savory or sweet. Pierogis are served pan-fried, steamed or boiled and are usually served with sour cream. Both the Floral Park and New Hyde Park delis sell packets of their own styles of pierogis. At Euro Deli, the potato and cheese offers the perfect warming comfort, while PolishAmerican Market & Deli’s meat-filled pierogis are packed with a savory mix of beef and pork. The delis’ display cases are also filled with a dizzying array of Polish sausages. Kielbasa krakowska is perhaps the quintessential Polish sausage, sliced and served cold, it’s packed with cuts of lean pork and seasoned with pepper, allspice, coriander and garlic before it is packed into a large casing and smoked. But don’t stop there, as there are at least a baker’s dozen of sausages to choose from. Kabanosy, or
20170331_XAL_LNW_PG00 - 1:39 March 27, 2017
even a dab of honey. For dessert, Poles bake some of the most monumental sweet treats. There’s makowiec, a poppy-seed cake stuffed with raisins and nuts; Polish Easter cake known as babka; and perhaps the most typical sweet, paczki, a Polish donut much like a classic jelly donut. Not just for Polish family parties, this cuisine could add a unique dynamic to any dinner, no matter the host’s ethnic background. Stock up on Polish groceries and prepare to feel full, satisfied and delighted.
55
29A
LongIslandWeekly.com • March 29 - April 4, 2017 • Published By Anton Media Group • To Advertise Call: 516-747-8282
BOOK REVIEW
Oceans Ending: Genetic Tinkering Gone Wrong BY DAVE GIL DE RUBIO DGILDERUBIO@ANTONMEDIAGROUP.COM
B
etween genetically modified crops (GMOs) and cloning, genetic engineering is the one branch of science that has seemingly experienced the most growth and generated quite a bit of controversy. So it goes with Beth McCue’s new novel Oceans Ending, a 213-page science fiction thriller having to do with the ethics behind toying with sea life DNA while mashing it up with human subjects. Protagonist Dana Barnes-Thompson is an artist who is in a loving marriage with her therapist-turned-spouse Elliot. While she has a strained relationship with her law enforcement father, it isn’t until a voracious strain of jellyfish starts attacking unsuspecting swimmers that numerous family secrets begin to become unveiled. It turns out that Barnes-Thompson’s father-inlaw Bill happens to be a geneticist working for the government who is attempting to hybridize jellyfish and human DNA. Using his future daughter-in-law as a guinea pig, Bill’s scientific dabbling inadvertently winds up having her create a psychic link with the mutant jellyfish amid the disastrous results
LIW
LONG ISLAND WEEKLY
Cover photo by Warner Bros. Records
that came out. And while one of the byproducts is massive carnage caused by these deep sea denizens, the overarching theme is not unlike the one Mary Shelley invoked in 1818’s Frankenstein (or The Modern Prometheus)—nothing good can come from man’s attempt to play God. McCue’s writing keeps the action going along at a fairly brisk clip, with chapters being tight and compact. While the relationships between characters occasionally get muddled due to the fluidity of the back-story and the amount of people that are involved in the overarching story, McCue does a solid job describing the jagged emotions displayed as each layer of this scientific onion gets peeled back. The intertwining of government operatives and the top secrecy involved with a fictional project like this also infuses a bit of espionage intrigue into the proceedings that helps the narrative continue to chug along steadily. Oceans Ending may refer to the fictional New Jersey seaside community where Barnes-Thompson lives with her husband, but it also serves as an environmental warning, particularly when the outcome of unethical scientific experimentation winds up yielding quite a scary and foreboding unknown.
Published by Anton Media Group KARL V. ANTON, JR. Publisher, 1984–2000 ANGELA SUSAN ANTON Editor and Publisher FRANK A. VIRGA President STEVE MOSCO Senior Managing Editor JENNIFER FAUCI Managing Editor DAVE GIL DE RUBIO, CHRISTY HINKO Editors ALEX NUÑEZ Art Director BARBARA BARNETT Assistant Art Director KAREN MENGEL Director of Production IRIS PICONE Director of Operations SHARI EGNASKO Executive Assistant JOY DIDONATO Director of Circulation LINDA BACCOLI Administrative Assistant 132 East Second Street, Mineola, NY 11501 Phone: 516-747- 8282 • Fax: 516-742-5867 advertising inquiries advertising@antonmediagroup.com circulation inquiries subscribe@antonmediagroup.com editorial submissions specialsections@antonmediagroup.com
When you dream big, anything can happen. From our intentionally small classes to the skills of our excellent faculty, everything we offer is geared to enrich your experience and prepare you to pursue your own big dream. With nearly 60 undergraduate and graduate degrees in business, education, and the arts and sciences, and among the most diverse, dynamic student bodies in the nation, we provide a solid educational foundation so you have the confidence in your own abilities to succeed at whatever you choose to undertake — to own your future. Contact us at: (516) 876-3200 or www.oldwestbury.edu
Open House Saturday, April 22, 2017 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
168237 C
PR8273_AntonNewsOH.indd 1
20170331_XAL_LNW_PG00 - 1:39 March 27, 2017
3/23/2017 11:06:19 AM
66
30A
LongIslandWeekly.com • March 29 - April 4, 2017 • Published By Anton Media Group • To Advertise Call: 516-747-8282
THE SPORTS DESK
April’s Fools BY STEVE MOSCO
W
SMOSCO@ANTONMEDIAGROUP.COM
hile heroic moments dot the history of New York Baseball, there have been plenty of gaffes on the diamond as well. As another baseball season is set to spring, here are a few moments when New York baseball was less than all-star caliber.
Merkle’s Boner
Son Of A Yogi
In 1908, the New York Giants were poised to win the National League pennant over the Chicago Cubs when Al Bridwell knocked a base hit that should have brought in the winning run. But Giants’ rookie Fred Merkle, running from first base, failed to touch second and was called out. The game ended in a tie and the Cubs later won the makeup game, winning the pennant and the World Series. The gaffe was immortalized as “Merkle’s Boner” by the baseball press.
Dale Berra joined the New York Yankees prior to the start of the 1984 season. Unfortunately, the younger Berra’s most notable on-field contribution was a bizarre baserunning play in an 11-inning, 6-5 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 2, 1985. With Bobby Meacham on second base and Berra on first, Ricky Henderson’s hit looked to bring them both home but after Meacham slipped, they both arrived home at the same time and were both tagged out by Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk.
A Different Kind Of Goat In terms of closers, Mariano Rivera is the greatest of all time (GOAT)—but in game seven of the 2001 World Series, he perpetrated the greatest blown save of all time. The Yankees had everything going for them, as Rivera retired the side in the eighth inning, then was handed the ball with the lead in the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 7-8-9 batters. Instead of breezing to victory, Rivera gave up a walk, committed a throwing error and ultimately surrendered the game-tying and winning hits. The Yankees would have to wait until 2009 to celebrate their 27th championship.
Look Up, Luis The Mets-Yankees rivalry has plenty of less-than-stellar moments for both franchises, but this is perhaps the lowest. On June 12, 2009, the Mets were leading the Yankees 8-7 as closer Francisco Rodriguez took the mound in the bottom of the ninth. With two outs and Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira on first and second, Alex Rodriguez hit what appeared to be a harmless pop out to end the game. Mets’ second baseman and pariah Luis Castillo somehow misjudged the ball and dropped it. Jeter and Teixeira would both score, icing the win for the Yankees.
Sign up TODAY and receive a FREE Annual Membership Fee! 5/31/17
Experience for yourself what makes the Wims Family LOVE Goldfish! Year-round lessons for kids 4 months to 12 years in a fun and vibrant learn-to-swim facility
Swing!
A proven curriculum that focuses on swim safety, confidence and having fun in the water
Goldfish Swim School — Garden City www.goldfishswimschool.com | 516.267.5120
168058 C
Tons of extras! monthly celebrations, achievement ribbons, private parties & more
In the mind of many fans, Carlos Beltran’s Mets career is defined by one moment—his failure to swing as he watched Adam Wainwright’s pitch sail by for strike three in the 2006 National League Championship Series. A championship was not to be that year for the Mets, but optimistic fans looked toward 2007 with hope. Then that collapse happened, and the team spiraled into a long stretch of failure. Of course, more astute fans don’t blame Beltran at all for the 2006 loss. Instead, they reserve their anger for Aaron “F***ING” Heilman and the meatball he served up to Yadier Molina in the top of the ninth.
20170331_XAL_LNW_PG00 - 1:39 March 27, 2017
77
31A
LongIslandWeekly.com • March 29 - April 4, 2017 • Published By Anton Media Group • To Advertise Call: 516-747-8282
The Best Louisiana Cookin’ at Biscuits & Barbeque g FRESH CRAWFISH BOILS n i t r a St Now! EVERY WEEKEND! Flown Up Fresh & Live Every Weekend from Louisiana
ENJOY OUR LOUISIANA CAJUN OR SMOKED BBQ
BISCUITS & BARBEQUE 516.493.9797
CALL FOR DAILY SPECIALS
EAT-IN OR TAKE OUT
BiscuitsAndBarbeque.com
Check Our Website & Facebook Pages for Specials • Days & Hours: M-F 11am-9pm, Sat & Sun 10am-9pm
20170331_XAL_LNW_PG00 - 1:39 March 27, 2017
168205 C
106 East Second Street, Mineola (Just 2 Blocks East of Roslyn Road)
2017-03-29
8
164116 C